yahoo - 3/11/2026 4:34:41 PM - GMT (+2 )
For those playing in Yahoo default leagues, it's go time. Week 21 officially kicks off the fantasy basketball playoffs, and the schedule gives you some real angles to work with — two five-game teams, a light Sunday to close the week. Here's the scoop on how to navigate it.
Part 6: Week 21 Schedule Analysis
Mon 3/16 | Tue 3/17 | Wed 3/18 | Thu 3/19 | Fri 3/20 | Sat 3/21 | Sun 3/22 | |
Games | 8 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 10 | 5 |
Quality | Moderate | Moderate | Crowded | Moderate | Stream | Crowded | Stream |
To view the team matchups for each slate, check out Hashtag Basketball's Advanced Schedule Grid.
Are you in the playoffs?Round 1 starts now. Every streaming decision carries more weight than it did in the regular season. Know when to get guys into your lineups and stay on top of the injury beat.
Quality meets quantityTwo teams play five games in Week 21, 14 teams play four and 14 play three. Don't just chase game count blindly this week. There are three-game teams with favorable matchups that could better align with your roster configuration.
5 games: PHX, WAS
4 games: ATL, BOS, BKN, CLE, GSW, HOU, LAC, LAL, MEM, MIN, NOR, ORL, POR, SAS
3 games: CHA, CHI, DAL, DEN, DET, IND, MIA, MIL, NYK, OKC, PHI, SAC, TOR, UTA
The teams I'm prioritizing:
All-week — Suns and Wizards
Early-week —- Orlando Magic
Mid-week — Clippers, Pelicans, Nuggets and Timberwolves
Weekend —- Timberwolves, Raptors, Blazers, Nets, Nuggets, Celtics
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More about the Suns and Wizards' schedule advantagePhoenix faces a tough schedule: BOS, MIN, and SAS on the road, plus home games against MIL and TOR. Still, add Grayson Allen and Oso Ighodaro in shallow leagues, Royce O’Neale in 12s and Khaman Maluach in deeper formats.
Washington’s schedule isn’t much better, taking on GSW, DET (2x), OKC and closing out Sunday against the Knicks. THEY ALSO JUST LET EDRICE FEMI “BAM” ADEBAYO SCORE 83 POINTS IN A PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL GAME.
Between the Wizards’ tanking mandate and having to weave Trae Young into an already inconsistent rotation, their fantasy landscape is maddening. However, the volume game matters, especially in points leagues where I’d be adding Will Riley and Tre Johnson in shallow leagues — Bilal Coulibaly and Bub Carrington for 12-team leagues and deeper.
Who to avoid — and when?Rather than avoid a specific team, don’t hit waivers too early in the scoring period. Outside of a significant development (injury, suspension, benching or prolonged rest) that you must act on, the schedule is pretty evenly spread with little room to exploit lighter slates until the weekend.
Drop fringe Bulls players because after Thursday’s game, they won’t play again until the following Monday on a 10-game slate. I’d also look at which teams are playing on Saturday because some players may not be worth holding if you can sneak in another add for Sunday. To sum it up, focus on Friday and Sunday, which are small six- and five-game slates, so that’s where you’ll want to get the most out of your transactions. The Knicks, Raptors, Celtics, Nets, Nuggets, Timberwolves and Blazers all play on Friday and Sunday, so save those moves till the weekend.
If you have a bye in Round 1, focus on getting ahead for Round 2. Monitor re-evaluations for Stephen Curry (knee) and Joel Embiid (oblique), as their status could change the fantasy value of teammates. Since no teams have more than four games in Week 22, and Minnesota and Phoenix each play only two games, prioritize adding Hornets or Kings players now — they play on three of the lightest upcoming days (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday), offering more streaming potential when your playoffs begin.
As usual, use the bye to scout your Round 2 opponent, identify their weaknesses and plan out how you can secure five categories or more total points.
What if your playoffs haven't started yet?Respect. You're grinding out a full fantasy basketball season through Week 24. Unless you're in a roto league, that’s a wild decision in this tanking, silly-season environment. Honestly, respect.
Good luck to those battling it out for a chance to bring home a fantasy title!
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